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The air is still in the library at night. Some found this unsettling but Claude thought the opposite. It was a good way of keeping his senses sharp, he could easily sense if someone was approaching. He could not have anyone finding him in such a comprising position.
Night after night, he sifted through all literature covering the earliest history of the church. None of what they were taught at the monastery made sense to him.
Who is Seiros? Why does Seiros have so much power, enough power to garner a cult following? What makes her so special?
What power does the Fodlan goddess truly have? Who was she really? An all knowing being who can bring life into this world and take it away just as easily. It seems unfair.
These questions plagued his mind everyday and yet, his desire for answers was never curbed by what Seteth had to say. If anything, Seteth seemed to withhold vital information from Claude. There was no use asking the professor since they did not know either so Seteth has become his “primary” source. Claude had the feeling that maybe the archbishop’s advisor was more knowledgeable than he let on…
Claude’s tired eyes scan over the same two pages three more times, desperately looking for something new. Perhaps he missed something before. Reading between the lines is a skill he honed for moments like this. A yawn threatens to escape but he knows he cannot make too much noise. He inhales deeply then exhales through his nose. This was a bit louder than he anticipated but he figured it would not be detectable to anyone but-
“Claude?”
The young heir nearly jumps out of his skin when he hears a familiar voice. He whips his head around to see the princess of Brigid, her long purple hair slightly mussed from a sleepless night. Claude makes quick note of the bags under her eyes and the disheveled nature of her night clothes.
“Petra, what- you scared me.” He fails to cover the tremble in his voice, his easygoing tone sounding strained. The princess tilts her head.
“What are you doing here so late?” She starts to walk toward him but stops when she notices him start to close his book. Her brows furrow in confusion.
“Just studying for our exam. Ya know how Teach loves to put things on there that we haven’t covered in our lectures.”
“The professor would not do such a thing.”
“I thought you’d believe that, being new to our class and all.” Claude chuckles innocently. Petra is not amused.
“Will you stop lying and tell me what you are doing here?”
“Alright, alright! I’m…” Claude pauses briefly to show that he is deep in thought, another ploy to get Petra to ease off of him. “Getting some extra… wait, what are you doing here?”
“You will not, er… flip the script on me.” Petra tiredly tries to recall a saying Claude himself shared with her. This makes him genuinely smile, unlike the one that does not reach his eyes.
“I thought that would work too. In all honesty, I couldn’t sleep so I figured some reading would help. Now I believe it is your turn to share why you are up.”
“I do not believe you but I will accept this for now. I am here…” Claude notices the way her teeth work at the inside of her lip.
“To see my dashing face?” The heir teases her but there is no sign of amusement from the princess.
“Yes.”
“Wait, I was kidding. Surely you’re not actually here to see me.” A light blush spreads across Claude’s nose and cheeks. It’s time for Petra to laugh now. There is coyness to her demeanor.
“Well I am! I know that it is too cold for you to be sleeping outside so I figured you would be here. And you are.” She seems proud of herself for finding Claude out; Claude feels the color drain from his face all of a sudden.
Claude has grown closer to Petra over their time at the monastery. They became fast friends through their discussions about napping and hunting, as well as customs from their homelands. He was so delighted when she requested to be a part of the Golden Deer. There was an unspoken understanding about Claude’s lineage between them, which uncharacteristically put his mind at ease. He knew others had suspicions of him but Petra’s came from a place of wanting to belong. She found solace in him, as he did with her. It made his heart beat a little faster but he was never sure why. He could not name this feeling. It was unfamiliar to him, which he feared. But something about Petra truly did intrigue him. Besides, she was able to find him when he least expected. This alone brought a smile to his face.
“I can’t believe you found me.”
“Silly. I always will.”
“That makes me sound like some kind of prey.” Claude laughs humorlessly, to which Petra lifts a brow.
“You do bear the title of a deer.”
“Do you really see me as such?”
“Well… sometimes. Like right now. Only now, you do not have an escape route.”
“I’m not looking for one from you. But perhaps…” Petra’s eyes shift around for a brief moment, much to Claude’s amusement. She hangs onto his last word as if they were about to spring into a sparring match.
“Perhaps you did find one.”
Claude takes in everything about Petra in that one instance- and smiles again.
“I did.”
You are my escape.